The present invention relates to a method for locating a seam in a cover member when applying a backing material thereto to align the cover member with the backing material and in particular to a method in which vacuum is used to locate the cover member seam.
When manufacturing a multiple layer laminate structure such as a vehicle door trim panel or a vehicle seat upholstery cover having a cover member with a backing material such as a foam pad bonded thereto, it is necessary that the cover material and the backing material be properly aligned with one another when they are bonded together. One method of aligning the cover member with a backing material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,045 in which a trim strip is attached to the cover member at the seams between adjacent pieces of the cover member. The trim strip is held within grooves in a shaping tool to properly position the cover member when a foam pad is bonded thereto. Disadvantages of using a trim strip include the additional labor required to tear off the trim strip after the article has been completed and the creation of scrap from the torn off trim strip.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for properly aligning the cover member with the backing material when attaching the cover member to a backing material that reduces the labor required to produce a finished article and also eliminates the creation of scrap from the process.
The method of the present invention uses a vacuum to locate the cover member as opposed to the mechanical locating means of the trim strip. When two adjacent pieces of the cover member are sewn together, the sewn seam is bound with a nonpermeable binding strip. The cover member is then placed onto a holding tool that includes a vacuum channel at the desired location for the seam in the cover member. Once the cover member is placed on the surface of the holding tool, vacuum is applied to the vacuum channel, drawing the nonpermeable binding firmly against the tool to hold the cover member in place. With the cover member properly positioned, a foam pad or other backing material is accurately bonded to the cover member. Alternatively, a pour-in-place foaming process can be used to mold a foam pad to the properly positioned cover member. There is no need for any additional labor to remove a tear-off trim strip to complete the article.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.